High-voltage air-break switch



V R. RENKE. HIGH VOLTAGE AIR BREAK SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25.1919.

Patented May II, 76,922.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE,

ROBERT 312mm,. 01: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To LEwIs ANDROTH CORPORATION. OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION orPENNSYLVANIA.

HIGH-VOLTAGE AIR-BREAK SWITCH.

1,415,708.. .Specificationofltterslfatenti Patented May 9, 1922.

Application filed June 25,

a switch particularly designed for breaking a high voltage currents inair, for which purpose its construction is primarily such as to avoidthe production of injurious mechani cal stresses under conditions ofoperation, particularly in its insulating elements.

It is further desired to provide a switch of the above noted typewith anovel ar rangement of auxiliary contacts or horns particularly designedto maintain the are formed on opening said switch, at a constant lengthwhile drawing it away from the main contacts and finally to' causeits'breakage whensaid horns are moving at a relatively high speed. y A v 1My invention further contemplates a high voltage switch in which thepartsare so are ranged and constructed that the contacts cannot open orclose under the action of gravity in the eventof the breakage oraccidental disconnection of the operating geari but will under allconditions tend to remain in their open or closed condition as thekcase.

maybe; I a p nother object of my invention istofpro vide a high voltageswitchhavingbotli of its cooperating contacts movable and operative inthe arcs of circles, their relative positions being such as toc'ause'the formation of a short are immediately after their separation;and its subsequent maintenance at a substantially constant length whileit is drawn away from the vicinity of said main contacts to theextremities of auxiliary contacts or horns, where it is suddenly brokenby trlie separation of, these latter at a high. s cc V g The inventionfurther contemplates a switch having the above noted characteristics,which in addition to being substantial, shall be of such construction asto not easil get out of order and inwhich the mechanical stresses on theinsulators and operating gear shall be materially less than has hithertobeen the case in similar switches.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter setforth, refer- 1919. Serial No. 306,629.

ence bein had to the accompanying drawv ings, in'w ich,

Fig. 1 1s a side elevation of a switch constructed in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 -is an end elevation of .the switch shown in Fig. 15 I Fig. 3 isan enlarged transverse section through the main contacts; 1

Flgs. 4 and 6 are perspective views respect vely of one of .the contactheads and its main contact; and

Fig.6 is a transverse section of one of the connectinglugs and itsassociated conductor. 2 Inthe above drawings 1 represents a relativelyfixed. supporting structure, in the resent finstance consisting of asuitable ength of a channel section mounted in any deslred manner andhaving attached to either or both of its ends one end of a series ofstrain insulators 2 to whose opposite end is attached a terminal fixture3 of a high voltage line '4. Obviously the end of a sec- 1 0nd line maybe similarly attached to the opposite end of the channel section 1 whichhas fixed to and projecting from its upper face a pair of bearings 5each rotatably supporting a short shaft 6. Said bearings are preferablyof the double or forked type and between the r arms each shafthas fixedto it anupwardly projecting arm 7 on which is mounteda suitable highvoltage insulator 8.

Suitably mounted on and fixed to the top of each of these insulators isa metal frame to which is bolted or otherwise connected 2. head 9 havinga flat base-25 and a hollow cylindrical body 11 formed with a laterallyprojecting lug 13. Screwed or otherwise mounted in the body 11 whichextends from one-side of the base, is an elongated metal rod 12constituting ahorn or auxiliary contact while-said body has removablythough rigidly mounted on it a main contact 10 in the form of asplitsleeve 26 and an integral contact plate 10. This latter is soformed and supported that its plane includes or is substantiallyparallel with the longitudinal axis of its insulator 8 and head 9; thearrangement being such that each contact has a flat face positioned toelectrically engage and be substantially concentric with the simingrod14 whose second end has sweated or otherwise fixed to it a terminal 15con- .nected through a flexible conductor 16 with the terminal fixture3. LfilS latter is so constructed that the flexible conductor isremovably clamped to it and it also has clamped upon it a fulcrum plate1? to which is pivoted one end of a strut 18 whose opposite end ispivoted the terminal 15 on the outer end of the rod 14. Each of theshafts 6 is extended at one end beyond its bearing 5 and has fixed tothis extension an arm 19; these twoarms extending toward each other and,in the present instance, at

an angle of slightly more than 90 to the of about 90.

arms 7 on their respective shafts.

Suitably fixed to one sided the supporting base 1'is a downwardlyprojecting yoke structure 20 constituting a guide for a verticallyreciprocable operating member ,21 having a laterally projecting head 22whose ends are connected by links 23 to the ends of the arms 19respectively. Any desired device may be provided for moving theoperating rod 21 up or down and as typical of this, I have shown anoperating handle 24 fixed to one end of a shaft or spindle 25 mounted ina bearing 26 attached to a wall or other supporting structure 27. Alsofixed to the shaft or -spindle 25 is a short arm 28 to which is pivotedthe lower end of the arm 21.

With the above described arrangement of parts, when the operating handle24 is in its lower position shown, the two arms 7 with their insulators8 are inclined toward. each other and their heads 9 are so designed andmounted that when the rod 21 occupies its lowest possible position withthe head 22 engaging the yoke 20, the two flat faces of the contacts 10are in engagement. Current is then free to flow from the line 4 to theconductor 16, rod, 14, through the two heads 9, to the second of therods 14, through the second flexible conductor 16' attached thereto andthence to the second line or to any apparatus or device to which theconductor 16 may be connected.

If now the operating handle 24 be swung upwardly through an arc ofapproximately 180, the operating rod 21 ismoved upwardly, and throughthe links 23 and arms 19, the shafts 6 are turned through an angle Atthe beginning of this movement the two contacts 10 are moved apart, withthe result that an arc is struck or formed between the nearest portionsof their adjacent upper edges. Since as shown in Fig. 2 the horns 12 lieand move in parallel planes, as the distance between the contacts 10 isincreased, the arc moves from the latter to the lower ends of saidhorns, and as these swing about the shafts 6 as axes, while the distancebetween them remains constant, the arc moves upwardly upon them in anendeavor to avoid an increase in itslength, as well as under the ac tionof the upwardly moving body of hot produced. Finally however when theshafts 6 and said horns are being moved at their maximum velocityunder-the action of the operating handle 24, the arc reaches the ends ofsaid horns and as the continued movement of the latter separates theseends at a high velocity, the arc is drawn out to its limit of length andis quickly broken, the horns and their associated parts ultimatelycoming to rest in the widely separated positions indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1.

With this method of operation and construction of parts it will be notedthat the weight of the arms 7, insulators 8, head 9 and horns 12 is sodisposed relatively to the pivot shafts 6 that when the switch has oncebeen opened, said parts tend to remain in their open or separatedpositions under the action of gravity, and similarly when the operatinghandle 24 is swung downwardly into the position shown, the several partsare moved from the positions indicated in dotted lines and after passingthrough dead points, tend to move under the action of gravity into thepositions illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the contacts 10 are inengagement and the circuit through the switch is complete.

One important feature of my invention resides in the disposal of theparts in such a manner that the mechanical stresses in the switchelements due to their operation under Working conditions are practicallynegligible, for the insulators particularly are. so supported andrelated to the switch contacts that they are free from torsional andlateral stresses- In addition to the fact that the horns 12 do notengage each other, it is noted that then arrangement and movement,

is such-that the arc is broken from their tips or extremities at thetime when these are moving apart at a maximum velocity.

On closing the switch, the circuit is 001m pleted not through the hornsbut directly through the plates 10, which owing to their inclined orwedge shaped edges necessarily ride one upon'the other when the switchis closed and make good electrical contact. The horns may be easilyremoved and replaced whenever this is desirable and if for any reasonthe operating mechanism of the switch should become disconnected fromthe shafts 6, there would be no resulting movement or operation of thearms 7 or of the contact members 10 carried thereby, since tend toremain in their open or closed po sitions as the case may be.

By the use of the stiff conducting rods 14 and the'supporting struts 18,any possible interference of the flexible conductors 16 sociated partsis effectually prevented, since said rods and struts insure saidconductors being held away from their respective insulators 8 as well asfrom the horns and contact plates associated therewith.

I claim:

1. The combination in a high voltage switch of two pivotally mountedcooperative contacts; means for simultaneously swinging said contacts ontheir pivots to cause them to engage or disengage each other; with hornsrespectively carried by said contacts and movable therewith in parallelplanes spaced apart to maintain an arc gap of substantially constantlength after the contacts have been separated, until the ends of saidhorns begin to separate.

2. The combination in a high voltage switch of two pivotally mountedcoopera- 'tive contacts; means for simultaneously swinging said contactson their pivots to cause them to engage or disengage each other; withrigid, permanently disengaged hornsrespectively carried by said contactsand postitioned to move in substantially parallel planes when thecontacts are moved.

'3. The combination in a high voltage switch of a supporting structure;two arms pivotally mounted thereon; contacts carried by the armsrespectively; means for insulating said contacts from their respectivearms; substantially straight, rigid horns associated with the contactsrespectively and positioned one across but spaced away from the otherwhen the switch is closed, and movable in parallel planes when the armsare turned on their pivots; with means for simultaneously moving saidarms to cause the. contacts to engage or disengage each other.

4. The combination in a high voltage switch of two movably supportedcooperative contacts; horns respectively associated with said contactsand positioned to main-' tain an arc gap of constant length as thecontacts are separated u'ntll the extremities of the horns have beenbrought immediately adjacent each other and thereafter move saidextremities apart; with means for operating the switch.

The combination in a high voltage switch of a supporting structure; twocon-,

of engagement with each other and thereby causing said rods to move insubstantially parallel planes, therods being positioned so that theirouter extremities first approach each other and then move apart as theswitch is opened. with the main switch members or their as other inparallel separated planes when said contacts are in engagement; withmeans for simultaneously swinging the arms on their pivots to move thecontacts to the opposite sides of their neutral positions and at thesame time separate the extremities of the horns after moving themadjacent each other in their planes.

7. The combination in a high voltage switch of a supporting structure;arms movably mounted 'on said structuee;eontact plates having oppositelyfacing substantially flat coat-ting surfaces and respectively carried bybut insulated from said arms; means forsimul'taneously moving both ofsaid arms to cause engagement or disengagement of said plates; and hornsrespectively projecting from relatively distant portions of the contactplates and movable therewith in adjacent permanently separated parallelplanes. 8. The combination in a high voltage switch of asupporting'structure arms movably mounted on said structure; contactplates having substantially flat oppositely lllii carried by butinsulated from said arms; means for simultaneously moving bot-h of saidarms tocause engagement or disengagement of said plates; and permanentlyseparated horns respectively associated with the contact plates andmovable therewith in adjacent parallel planes, each of said arms and itsassociated parts being mounted on its supporting structure in positionto tend to move from a neutral position into either of two extremepositions in one of which the contacts are in engagement;

9. The combination in a high voltage switch of a supporting structure;two arms pivotally mounted on said structure and ex tending toward eachother; two other arms respectively in rigid connection with the firstarms and respectively movable thereby into either of two positions onopposite sides of a neutral position two cooperative contactsrespectively carried by but insulated from the second pair of arms;horns associated with the contacts and movable therewith insubstantially parallel separated planes; current conductors connected tosaid contacts respectively; and mechanism associated with the first pairof arms for movtension insulators mounted on one of the arms of eachset; coacting contact plates mounted on the insulators; horns connectedto said contact plates and movable therewith in substantially parallelseparated planes; current conductors connected to the contacts;

and operating mechanism connected to the second arm of each pair formoving the other puss es arms with their associated parts from one sideto the other of neutral positions to bring the contacts into or out ofengagement with each other.

11. The combination in 'a high voltage switch of, a supportingstructure; two arms pivotally mounted thereon; high tension insulatorsrespectively carried by said arms; heads each having a contact platerespectively carried by said insulators; horns carried by said heads andmovablewith the contacts in substantially parallel separated planes;means for simultaneously swinging said arms with their associated partson their pivots; and current conductors respectively connected to saidheads.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

- ROBERT RENKE.

